The Purple Blade
by ChibiKenshin
Summary: What if Yukishiro Tomoe and Hitokiri Battousai had a child?
1. Chapter One of Eleven

"Please don't make me kill you..." were the only words that could come   
to Kenshin's head as his eyes were close to tears.  
Tears streamed down Murasaki's face. How could things end like this? Why? Why   
her?   
  
A few months earlier   
  
Yahiko was going out to get the daily supply of tofu for dinner. It had been 7   
years since Enishi had been defeated, and only a few months ago when Kenji had   
his 2nd birthday. For some strange reason, now he knew how Kaoru felt when they   
trained together years before when she thought of him as a younger brother.   
Sure, Kenji got onto his nerves at times, but he couldn't help wanting to   
protect him from harm and to give him the best.   
Being deep into his own thought, he accidentally bumped into a girl with a thick   
mass of fiery red hair with black bangs.   
"Hey!" The voice sounded young, yet mature at the same time. The stranger spun   
around to meet her 'attacker'. "I've killed people for less, you know." Yahiko   
just shook his head, knowing that some people would never lose the old mentality   
of years ago.   
"Sorry..." He gave a quick polite bow, continuing on his way. Out of nowhere, a   
hand grabbed his sleeve, stopping from progressing. He returned an angry glare   
back at the stranger, demanding that he be let go, only for his words to be stop   
short by the eyes that met his.   
  
A set of blue-violet eyes met his.   
  
"The same colour....", he noted to himself..."the same as Kenshin's...."   
  
For the small exception that there was a small scar over her left eye, causing   
the colour in that eye to look dull.   
"What are you staring at me for?" Yahiko fell to the ground as the hand released   
his sleeve.   
"You...you just remind me of someone I know..." He got up brushing himself off.   
He gave another polite bow and headed on his way, dwelling on the recent   
encounter.   
  
She took out a piece of paper, looking around for her destination. "Where the   
heck is this place?" She sighed, replacing the piece of paper in her shirt. The   
sun was setting and she needed to find the place before night fell. She   
continued through the lonely streets to where she thought her destination might   
lie.   
She heard footsteps behind her...not walking but running. Had she been followed?   
Her hand resting on her sword hilt, as she side-glanced at who was   
approaching...only to see it was the same runt as before. She furrowed her   
eyebrows, releasing a heavy tired sigh. Maybe he lived around here and could   
help her.   
"Excuse me...." she crossed her arms, trying to look serious and not so lost at   
the same time.   
"Oh...you." Yahiko smirked to himself, as he held the supply of tofu carefully   
in his hand. "Do you need help?"   
"Yeah...." She took out the slip of paper and handed it to him. She was   
surprised at his expression as he glanced back up at her from the paper.   
"What.....?"   
Yahiko swallowed hard. Had someone else come to kill Kenshin? She looked harmful   
enough... "Except for that sword hanging on her waist" he thought sarcastically.   
Should he reveal that he knew Kenshin?   
"Well, can you tell me where this place is?" her tone irritated.   
"Could you just wait here a second?" He handed her back the piece of paper. Not   
waiting for an answer, he headed back to the dojo. She cursed to herself as she   
waited. Normally she wasn't this patient, but why not? She's been waiting almost   
her entire life to meet such an important person. A soft quiet voice could be   
heard on the other side of the fence she was leaning on.   
"Now, is it really necessary that you find him?" It was a happy, yet dangerous   
tone. She leapt back from the fence, her sword ready in hand.   
"No need to hide, Shiro." She smirked, knowing indeed that she really HAD been   
followed this entire time.   
  
"What's wrong with a game of hide-and-seek between old friends, Murasaki?" A   
pair of glowing golden eyes appeared in front of her. Night had already fallen   
and the moon was hiding behind some clouds.   
The 2 adversaries waited for a few minutes for the moon to shine it's light down   
on them both. The one called Murasaki had her red hair up in a high ponytail,   
her clothes consisting of a sleeveless blue shirt, covered by a looser sleeved   
white one. A light blue sash was tied around her waist, and she wore a pair of   
dark blue pants.   
  
Shiro, on the other hand, was a dark-skinned girl with light pink hair, who wore   
a tight black shirt that failed to cover her stomach, with dark purple pants and   
a long dark blue jacket that almost reached past her knees. Her entire   
appearance would cause one to mistake this girl's dangerous intentions.   
"Old friends, my ass!" She drew her blade, a thin glimmer of purple shone on the   
moonlight. Shiro let out a laugh, almost like that of a child's, but Murasaki   
remained motionless, a grim serious expression on her face. She had fought this   
girl many times, a few ending in draws, but most of them she lost. She asked   
herself many times why this girl didn't just kill her...there would be no need   
to continuously have these silly fights.   
"Aw...I feel hurt." 2 glimmers of golden blades, one longer than the other,   
charged towards her. "I let you live all those times because I want a real   
fight...and that won't happen until you learn some technique." The sound of   
metal meeting metal disturbed the silence, as blades pressed down on each other,   
the struggle continuing back and forth. Shiro glanced down at Murasaki's blade   
to see a small necklace tied around the hilt, where a small purple pendant hung.   
"You know that you could never stop you're mother from dieing..." She chuckled   
evilly, knowing that would cause the patience and discipline to disappear.   
  
"Bitch..." Murasaki broke away, charging blindly. Anger and sadness clouded her   
thinking, and Shiro easily sidestepped. She swung the flat of one blade to   
Murasaki's knees, causing her to fall back. Using this momentum, she swung the   
flat of the other to the back of her head, resulting in the loss of   
consciousness.   
  
"Hmph." She spat on the ground to her side. "Do you really think that when   
you've found what you're looking for, you're going to be happy at last?" Many   
footsteps headed her way. She glanced in that direction, to see silhouettes   
heading her way. "Looks like your "friends" have come." She pulled back into the   
shadows, chuckling to herself, disappearing into the night.   
"Hey!" Yahiko recognized the girl on the ground. Confused as to what had   
happened, she ran to her side. "Something's wrong! This isn't how I left her."   
A familiar redheaded figure kneeled beside the unconscious girl. He rested his   
ear to her back to make sure she still had a heartbeat.   
"She's still alive. No need to worry."   
"Are you sure, Kenshin?"   
He returned a kind smile to Kaoru, nodding. "She's just unconscious." He lifted   
her up gently, carrying her over his shoulder.   
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean she has to be carried like a bag of flour." Kaoru   
smirked, nudging Kenshin in the ribs. "Sanosuke could get away with that, but   
not you!"   
The three chuckled softly, trying to keep the quiet, as some of the residents   
were already in bed for the night.   
  
At the dojo, Kenshin laid the girl gently down onto the mat in the guest room,   
where he saw her face for the first time." Like.... me?" He thought to himself.   
Kaoru sensed a change in Kenshin's mood, looking on at him nervously. " Is... is   
everything alright?" Yahiko had sensed the change too.... and he knew why.   
Kenshin was thinking the same thing he had a few hours earlier...Why did this   
girl look so much like him?   
Kenshin remained quiet for a few minutes thinking things over. "Kaoru..." he   
said softly. "Yes?" She went to his side to see if the girl was all right, only   
to discover the same thing. She swallowed before finally managing out a few   
words "Do you know her?"   
  
Kenshin nodded. "Of course I do." He looked longingly at her, his face filled   
with both sentiment and grief at the same time. "I love her." 


	2. Chapter Two of Eleven

It was late in the afternoon the next day, almost 24 hrs. since Kaoru   
last talked to Kenshin.   
  
"I love her", the words echoed through her head. She heard right. He loved   
someone else? Had he also had another lover that he failed to tell her about?   
She was surprised enough when she found out about Tomoe. She found it hard that   
a Hitokiri could actually find a love life.  
She had been delving into her thoughts at the shore of the lake. 7 years   
earlier, Kenshin had told her, in this same spot, the one thing she thought   
could have caused her so much grief. It was almost the same.... the fireflies   
casting their tiny green glows on her navy blue kimono.  
"Where's the Jo-chan I missed so much?" A comforting hand rested on her   
shoulder.  
  
She hadn't heard those words in a while, especially being called "Jo-chan".  
"Sanosuke..." a small smile appeared on her face, but she refused to turn   
around. She didn't like others to see her cry, especially those close to her.   
She felt weak, helpless. She could never find anyone that could really comfort   
her the same way her father did.  
  
"Sshh. The brat told me the whole story."  
"Yahiko..." she groaned.  
"Don't worry. He's the one who sent for me. He knew that you would want someone   
to confide in."  
  
Even though she still hasn't turned to face him, she knew he was scratching the   
back of his head, the usual sign of being embarrassed and feeling out of place.  
"Sanosuke? Wanting to comfort me?" She wiped her cheek with the heel of her   
hand, smiling sadly.  
"Give me a break will ya?" He placed his arms over her shoulders, pulling her to   
his chest. "Just hush." She felt his chin rest on top of her head. Maybe she   
couldn't confide in anyone as she could with her father, but here were people   
that cared for her, who wanted her to be all right.  
  
Like brothers.  
  
But what was Kenshin to her now? She didn't want to think about it...not for   
now.  
  
"You know...sometimes you do assume a bit too much." Sanosuke smirked, knowing   
that maybe he should be ready for a pummeling.  
But she wasn't in the mood today. "Assuming?" she said, pulling away a bit so   
that she could get a look at his face, a face that she hadn't seen in a while.  
"Yeah. What about the time he came back with chain marks around his neck? Or   
when he got that letter to lure him away from the dojo?" He knew she had no   
answer, as she had assumed the unlikely at those moments in time.  
She playfully hit him in the arm. "Alright! You've made your point!" She   
chuckled; glad to get rid of this depression, even if it was for only a while.  
  
After confessing her own feelings to Sanosuke about the incident, she was   
surprised by the expression on his face.  
"What's wrong? You look like you hadn't heard this before...." Kaoru asked with   
a raised eyebrow.  
"Well" he swallowed hard. "I didn't...not exactly. Yahiko didn't go into all the   
details. But the fact that he said, "I love her", Kaoru?" He shook his head in   
disbelief. "There's no way Kenshin would two-time you like that. Besides..." he   
chuckled. "He's not that stupid to go and do that, with the probability of you   
finding out." He coughed muffling the rest of his words, "Not with the kind of   
pummeling you dish out."  
Kaoru decided to hold back her temper for that comment...that would just lead to   
unnecessary subjects and they would stray off-hand. "So what do you think I   
should do?"  
"Talk to him, stupid! Have you even asked him what relation she is to him?"   
Sanosuke crossed his arms, his tone becoming serious.  
"No... but wasn't Tomoe his own relation.....? She...was...? Right?!?" Her eyes   
flashed towards Sanosuke, hoping that somehow he could give her the answer she   
wanted and needed.  
"Well, you didn't even know he had a relationship before he told you, no?"  
"And he told me eventually!" Her eyes were full of hate. Kenshin had betrayed   
her again. "Again?" she thought. "No... he didn't betray me...he did what he   
thought was best so as to keep me away from anymore pain that came with being in   
company with the famous Hitokiri."  
  
Even Sanosuke was surprised at the hate that he saw in her eyes at that moment.   
Hate? For the Rurouni?! From Jo-chan?! He quickly dismissed the thought from his   
mind. "So you're going to talk to him?" ".... yes." Kaoru lowered her head,   
fearing what words would have to come from Kenshin's mouth to explain this   
recent visitor, and his connection to her.  
"Cheer up, Jo-chan." Sanosuke gave her a comforting pat on the back. "Even   
though he might tell you something you don't want to hear, he's with you now.   
I'm sure it's a connection from his past...Kenshin wouldn't dare love 2 women at   
one time."  
  
Kenshin pressed a cold damp cloth to the young stranger's head. Many thoughts   
passed through his head.  
  
"Where've you been these many years?"  
  
"You've grown so strong."  
  
He managed to get a glance at the scar over her left eye. "And it looks like   
you've managed to..."  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door behind him sliding open.   
He knew who it was...and he was ready for answers. He cursed himself as he   
turned to face the one person...the LAST person...he wanted to hurt. He didn't   
want to hurt another person that he felt so deeply for.  
  
"Kaoru, I..." But he was cut off.  
"Kenshin..." Kaoru sat quietly and easily beside him. She glared down at the   
young girl, seeing the uncanny resemblance between the 2. She took his hand   
between hers, placing them on her lap. She smiled to herself, thinking back on   
all those times they held hands...how wonderful it was to feel the strength in   
his nimble fingers...to feel like the strength was flowing into her whenever he   
held her close...  
  
She bit her lip, forcing her mind back to the predicament at hand. "Who is she,   
Kenshin? Why did you say you love her? Was there someone...during your ten years   
of traveling alone...?" He stared back at her, surprised at her question...even   
more surprised that she even got herself to even ask that question. And yet, it   
almost felt like deja vu...that moment when he finally told her his past   
relationship with Yukishiro Tomoe...  
  
He took one quick look back at the girl, and then placed all of his attention on   
his wife. "Kaoru...you need to forgive me first for not telling you the full   
story. I'm sorry." He turned his body so that he was now facing her full in the   
face. He rested his other hand on hers, knowing that once again, he would have   
to tell her something that he shouldn't have hid in the first place. Feeling   
almost sick with grief, he rested his forehead down on her hands.  
"Of course I can, Kenshin." Kaoru managed to maneuver her hands from under his   
head without disturbing him too much, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to   
comfort him. "You're my husband." Little did they know that their little visitor   
had woken up.  
  
"Father?" 


	3. Chapter Three of Eleven

"What are you talking about? Telling her the full story about what?"   
Murasaki stared at the couple facing each other. She could sense that something   
wasn't right...but what?  
"Father...?" Kaoru repeated the word, to make sure she had heard right. A   
confused Kenshin sat in the middle, his glances changing to and fro from Kaoru   
to his daughter. "Is... is that true Kenshin? She's...your daughter?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?!" Murasaki rose to her feet,   
causing the moist rag that was on her head to fall to the ground, with a not too   
subtle splat.  
  
"Yes. What IS going on Kenshin?"  
  
All faces turned to see a stern Sanosuke, with a surprised Yahiko peeking from   
behind him.  
  
Murasaki took a good look at Kaoru's form, attempting to judge her age.  
"Is...is this mother? But...she already looks too young...there's no way she   
could be....! The bastard!" Her thoughts caused her eyes to dart around for her   
sword. Finding it resting beside the mat she had been asleep on, she held it   
threateningly towards to Kenshin. "How could you cheat on her?!" Her shrill,   
terror-struck voice filled the room, pulling all surprised eyes on her.  
  
A baby's cry.  
  
"And he had a child with her as well?" Her eyes focused on the direction of the   
cry.  
"Please!" Kaoru instinctively got up, heading for Kenji's room, leaving the   
other three to deal with this 'tyrant'.  
"Put down the sword, Yoriko..." Kenshin still had his back to her, but his voice   
was strict and demanding. "It might have been a while since I held a sword, but   
please don't make me have to resort to using one."  
  
Yoriko?  
  
Only 2 people knew her true name.  
  
"You...you cheated on mother, you bastard!" She bit her lip, knowing that a   
child was always to honour his parents...but could she forgive him for such an   
act? "And my name's Murasaki! Not Yoriko!"  
"Yoriko...I'm sorry. Your mother's dead." He still refused to turn. She couldn't   
see the pain in his face...the pain that was caused by his mind returning to the   
memories of Tomoe.  
"You lie!" She charged at him with her sword, yet he didn't move. As she got   
closer, she wished for him to move. She didn't want to resort to killing her   
father...please move! she screamed in her mind. Unable to see what her actions   
might cause, she shut her eyes tight and swung, prepared to feel her blade   
cutting through bones and flesh, prepared for the sweet yet sickening smell of   
blood.  
  
Nothing  
  
She opened her eyes to the unexpected silence, only to see Kenshin facing her.   
Little did she know that Sanosuke had managed his way behind her, and now he   
grabbed her arms behind her back, forcing her to drop her sword. It wasn't the   
usual sound that a sword made when it fell, but a much light, almost refined   
sound.  
  
Yahiko had been unaware of this whole incident, as he almost instantly followed   
Kaoru to Kenji's room to give them both protection in case that crazy girl   
managed to get into the room. He stood at the doorway, on guard, listening to   
the lovely lullaby Kaoru was humming to Kenji to calm him down.  
"Is he alright, Kaoru?"  
"Yes...he was just surprised by the screaming."  
  
"Since that girl hasn't made it here," he thought, "Sano and Kenshin must have   
dealt with her." He decided to aid Kaoru in caring for Kenji, taking him in his   
arms for a while and rocking him to sleep. He smiled, amazed at how he looked   
just like a mini-Kenshin, sans the cross-scar.  
  
Kaoru, watching the moment between the two, nudged Yahiko in the ribs. "Practice   
for the future when Tsubame has her child."  
"Hey!" His cheeks flashed a hot red, as he was ready to bitch her out, but his   
scream startled Kenji, who returned to his fits of screaming. "Oh no..." Yahiko   
turned his attention back to calming the young child down, Kaoru hiding her   
chuckles in her kimono sleeves.  
  
Meanwhile, Kenshin took up the thin purple sword, observing all the fine   
details. He looked at it a bit puzzled, turning it over and over again.  
"There's no flat end to this sword?" he held it up, asking 'Murasaki'.  
"Let me go!" She struggled in Sano's grip, trying to break free. Finally, she   
resorted to swinging her leg forward, and then bringing it back...HARD. Her heel   
ended up driving itself in Sanosuke's vulnerable area, causing him to release   
his grip as well as curl up on the floor in a pained huddled mass. Now free, she   
dived forward towards Kenshin, reaching for her sword.  
  
Only to hit the floor.  
  
With her face.  
  
"I'm dead...he's going to kill me..." she thought, as she waited to feel a blade   
being driven through her chest. But nothing happened.  
  
"Are you going to get up?"  
She turned to see Kenshin sitting on his haunches by her feet, holding out her   
blade for her. Pulling herself to her knees, she turned to take her sword, but   
he pulled the sword away just as her hand was going to touch the hilt.  
"And you're not going to do any more silly heroics, right Yoriko?" She stared at   
the smiling face, amazed that he managed to read her intentions. No...she   
couldn't fool this man, much less try to mess with him.  
  
"No...no more heroics." She yet again reached for her sword, and this time, she   
got her grip on the hilt. She stood to her feet, replaced the sword back in the   
sash around her waist, and tested her shoulders to make sure they weren't   
dislocated.  
  
"Are you alright, Sano?" Kenshin was sitting by Sanosuke's head now, highly   
amused at both the incident that caused him to be in this predicament and the   
pained expression on his face. But he tried his best to hide the smile that   
wanted so badly to show itself.  
"The bitch..." Sano managed to groan. He cursed many expletives, adding even   
more to Kenshin's amusement. "Kenshin...I swear...if you're laughing...."  
  
The next morning, everyone kneeled around the table for a short breakfast, as   
well as to find out about this new visitor. Kenshin, Kaoru and Sanosuke were on   
one side, while Yahiko, Murasaki and Kenji on the opposite side.  
Kenshin was eating his breakfast quietly, waiting for the questions to be asked,   
as he looked around at all the expressions of those at the table. Surprisingly,   
he noticed that Kaoru wasn't depressed about the whole situation, as she ate her   
meal...maybe she had gotten used to the unpredictability of being married to a   
former Hitokiri.  
  
Sanosuke, on the other hand, glared at the young girl sitting across from him.   
His arms crossed, he looked like he was ready to send the table flying right in   
her face. Yahiko was.... well...Yahiko was acting as though he had nothing to do   
with the entire situation, as he continued to shovel food into his face.  
  
Murasaki was eating as well, but her eyes kept darting towards Kaoru, unable to   
take in that she could be her father's new wife, and also unaware of Sanosuke's   
hateful eyes.  
  
Kaoru managed to get a glimpse of Sano's face, and with a playful pinch in his   
side, she managed to calm him down...a bit.  
  
SPLAT!  
  
Kenji was taught how to use a spoon, since his chubby fingers wouldn't be able   
to maneuver a pair of chopsticks. Now, some of his breakfast was dribbling down   
the side of Murasaki's cheek. Yahiko and Sanosuke instantly burst out into   
laughter, while Kenshin and Kaoru tried desperately to contain themselves,   
despite the serious expression on Murasaki's face. However, the laughter stopped   
instantaneously.  
  
SPLAT!  
  
It was Sanosuke's turn for breakfast in the face, and Murasaki's turn to get a   
good laugh out of it. The couple could no longer contain themselves, as they   
joined the 3 younger inhabitants in their laughter, while Sanosuke just sat   
there pouting, the rice porridge now hanging from his chin.  
  
After the mess was cleaned up and Kenji was sent outside to play with Yahiko,   
the four turned to more serious matters.  
  
"So, Yoriko..." Kenshin began, but he was quickly cut off.  
"Murasaki.", the redheaded girl answered. Surprised, Kenshin changed his   
question.  
"First of all, why have you changed...no, first, tell us what your 'name' is."   
"Murasaki Kaminari." 3 pairs of eyes staring back at her in disbelief returned   
her answer. Feeling uneasy, she tried to avert her eyes to the ground. "What?!"  
"Purple.......Lightning? What the HECK kinda name is that?" Sanosuke was between   
slamming his fist on the table, and laughing in her face at the ridiculous name.  
"Sanosuke..." Kaoru tugged on his sleeve to calm him down. "Shh. You didn't see   
us laughing at your name the first time we met."  
"That's why I don't call myself that name anymore!" Their voices were lowered to   
violent whispers, why Kenshin still had his attention focused on his daughter.  
  
"Would that name have some relation to your sword?"  
Murasaki nodded. "Yes, it does. As you mentioned last night when you asked if   
there was a flat end to the blade."  
"Well, she indeed was listening." Kenshin noted to himself.  
"The blade was made so thin that any of my victims could barely see it...only a   
thin purple line."  
  
"Wait. Did you just say victims?!" Kaoru interrupted.  
"What's it to you, sis?" Murasaki answered snidely. Sensing the violence that   
was about to erupt in the room, Kenshin decided to butt in.  
  
"Would it be alright if we had some time alone between the two of us?" Kenshin   
smiled, hoping that Kaoru would give him the chance for reminiscing time between   
him and his daughter.  
"Are you crazy, Kenshin?!" Sanosuke jumped to his feet.  
"Sano!" Kaoru grabbed the ends of his shirt, trying to pull him back to the   
ground. She turned back to Kenshin. "Yes...take all the time you need." Her eyes   
flashed a different message: "While I can still hold the chicken-head here.   
Hurry."  
Kenshin nodded a reply, and gestured to Murasaki to follow him out of the room. 


	4. Chapter Four of Eleven

"Where do you want me to begin?" Kenshin poured Murasaki a small cup of   
green tea as he kneeled at the small table in his room, the spunky redhead   
sitting across from him.  
"From the beginning." She let the tea sit on the table until it was cool.  
  
"Your mother's name...Yukishiro Tomoe. Beautiful since the first day I laid eyes   
on her. I was to be on an assignment that night, so that first sight had to be   
quickly placed out of my mind so that I could concentrate on work..."  
Murasaki interrupted, breaking her sip of tea. "Assignment? Work?! What are you   
talking about?"  
Kenshin sighed. Maybe she doesn't know anything.  
"Has anyone ever told you of Hitokiri Battousai?"  
"How could I NOT hear about him? He was one of the most famous people to bring   
about this new era."  
"Has anyone ever described him to you?"  
Murasaki sat in her thoughts for a while, trying to remember all that people had   
told her about the famous Battousai. She swallowed hard when her mind found the   
truth.  
"Y..y...you?!"  
Kenshin nodded, more ashamed than proud of anything. "Yes that was I. Would you   
like me to continue?" She nodded.  
  
"It was that same night that I met her again. It was not the.... subtlest of   
meetings." Kenshin chuckled to ease his mind a bit. ""You made the bloody rain   
fall" were her first words to me. It wasn't the sight of her that made me   
realize it was her...it was the seductive smell of her white plum perfume."  
"God.... how tempting that smell was." Kenshin's thoughts wondered for awhile,   
remembering all those nights they spent together...the room would fill with that   
subtle smell, driving him almost to the point of madness. He shook his head in   
shame, pulling his mind back to the present.  
"Many...events took place and we eventually became married."  
"Events?! Like what?"  
"Those are unimportant. What is important, however, is that we got married for   
another reason besides our deep love for each other. And that, Yoriko, was you."  
"Me?"  
"That night when she spoke her first words to me...." Kenshin's mind once again   
returned to that night. Yes, she was drunk...but she begged him for comfort, for   
the comfort her husband once gave her. Yes, he did resist. This isn't what he   
was supposed to be doing. But there's a limit as to where a man has his   
boundaries...her touch, smell.... her eyes. Damn those eyes!  
  
17 years earlier  
  
"No thanks are necessary." "I don't want to thank you...I just want someone." In   
her drunken state, she had forced the Hitokiri to the mat. He could have easily   
pushed her off and be on his way...but with those eyes looking at him? They   
didn't make it so easy for him. He smelt the sake on her breath, and knew that   
she was not in her right mind.  
"You're drunk." He grimaced, the stench of alcohol causing him to wrinkle his   
nose. All those years with his master hadn't developed his love for sake. He   
just wanted to get away from this girl.  
But nothing he said registered to the young girl's head, as she only pressed   
herself to him more. The warmth...the feel of her against him...his mind went   
cloudy, only seeing the pair of eyes nearing his.  
  
They closed; her lovely lashes against her cheeks.  
  
Her lips met his.  
  
The rest of the night...  
  
"We both tried to act like nothing happened...but Katsura could sense   
something...that's why he told us to leave and live together. Sure, no one would   
suspect a Hitokiri to be married, but he also knew that it was the best for us   
to raise this child...you...as we did share ourselves with each other."  
Murasaki smiled, taking a sip of her tea. It was wonderful to hear such a story   
of 2 people so full of love for each other. But her smile quickly changed when   
she heard the rest of his words.  
  
"But I was undeserving of her love...I killed her husband, Murasaki. To find out   
that the person you love and have a child with was, only a few weeks before,   
going to be married to her fiancée...and to end that with your hands!" Kenshin   
stared down at his own hands, as if the blood stains were still there." And   
don't think she hasn't tried to avenge his death. That same night...when we   
shared...her actions were all part of a plan to kill me. If only she had gone   
through with it...if only she wasn't drunk! She knew from the beginning...a life   
for a life..."  
"But...she did forgive you, right? 'Love conquers all', as the saying goes, no?"  
Kenshin only shook his head. "I hope she does...I never found out." His eyes   
lifted to peer outside at the blue skies, as if he were to see her smiling face   
there to show that she did forgive him.  
"What do you mean? Weren't you together for a while so that you could raise me?"  
"Yes, we were.... you born within 3 months of us getting married." Kenshin   
smiled so lovingly at Murasaki. "You were such a beautiful child, Yoriko. And   
you still are." He cusped his hands on her cheeks. "Even your mother's eyes..."  
"But what happened?" Her eyes darted at his eyes, waiting for the answer.  
His smile slowly lowered, as did his head, as he realized that he could no   
longer delay the inevitable. "I killed her."  
  
Never had anyone been in such a state before. Her own father...killed her   
mother. Here, she thought that when she had finally found this man, they could   
reminisce...become father and daughter again...even find their mother. Emotions   
rushed in and out from her: hate, sadness, spitefulness, envy, revenge....  
  
"I...I never got the chance to meet her..." she finally managed some words.   
Kenshin lifted his head, surprised that she could struggle through such grief to   
speak. He felt a lump rise in how own throat as he saw the tears surface on her   
eyelids, finding their way down her cheeks, leaving trails of moistness behind.  
"Not again..." he cursed himself. Another loved one...and he had to hurt her. It   
was then that he wondered why he even went on living...all he caused was pain to   
those close to him.  
  
She stood to her feet, wiping the tears from her eyes and face. She gave a short   
bow, and turned to leave the room.  
"Yoriko..."  
"...........thank you for taking your time to talk to me. But...I realize now   
that it was a mistake to want to find you, 'father'." And with that final   
message, she left the dojo.  
  
She didn't know what to think. Could she actually be able to kill her father? Of   
course she could! He took her mother's life! 'A life for a life' as he said, but   
her thoughts were interrupted.  
"Was I right, or was I right?" The familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.  
She nodded. "Yes, Shiro. You were right. I only found pain coming here..."  
"And don't you want to pay him back for causing this pain?"  
"...........yes. Yes, I do." Murasaki clenched her fist; her violet-blue eyes   
flashed a hint of yellow for but a fraction of a second.  
"Ah! I see. I thought all those stories of the golden glow of the Battousai's   
eyes were a myth, but maybe it's actually hereditary."  
"Why're you surprised?" She released her fist, leaving puncture wounds in her   
palm where her fingernails pierced. "You have golden eyes yourself."  
"Silly girl.... you're his only "other" relative...mine were obtained through a   
different means. Anyway, let's back to the subject at hand. We both want the   
Hitokiri dead, no?"  
"Well, I do.... I'm not too sure about you." Murasaki smirked. "You just seem   
bent on killing just about anyone and everyone...including me."  
Shiro chuckled, seeing as the girl had a point. "Well, let's just work together   
this once...we can achieve the goal so much quicker and easier."  
Murasaki nodded. "Alright, what do I need to do?" 


	5. Chapter Five of Eleven

Kaoru barged into the room, seeing Kenshin still kneeling on the floor,   
his face hid behind his auburn bangs.  
"What happened, Kenshin?" She rushed to his side, hoping he was ok. She placed a   
comforting hand on his back.  
".........nothing I couldn't prevent."  
"Do...do you want to talk about it?" Sanosuke and Yahiko, carrying an almost   
worried-looking Kenji, entered the doorway.  
"Just...need some time to think to myself."  
Surprised by this answer, she agreed that maybe he did need some time to   
himself...to think about what he should do next. Should he just forget about his   
daughter and move on with his life? No...Kenshin couldn't do that. With the love   
she saw in his eyes for Kenji, there's no way he could abandon Murasaki like   
that.  
  
Kenshin wandered aimlessly around the town, not paying attention that was around   
him or even in his way, as he nearly bumped into an elderly woman.  
  
What should he do?  
  
...she doesn't know why he killed her. She assumed the obvious....  
  
Even if I did, how could I do that if I loved her so much?  
  
Should I go look for her?  
  
Would she even listen to me?  
  
...probably not.  
  
But she needs to know the truth...the whole truth.  
  
He found himself on the same bridge that he was on many years ago when he had to   
think over his decision about going to Kyoto to kill Shishio. Dejá vú, maybe....   
it was already late afternoon, and the water looked like a crimson sea from the   
reflection of the sun.  
  
A crimson sea of blood.  
  
The image of his sword cutting through Tomoe's back flashed into his mind.  
  
"Why?!" He shook his head, as his own voice asked the question. A comforting   
hand startled him.  
"Because things happen." Sanosuke was tired of seeing anyone like this. First,   
Jo-chan and now Kenshin. He knew he wasn't very good at comforting others, but   
at least he could put effort into trying.  
"Sano...." Kenshin gave a sad smile, one that was not too convincing that he was   
all right.  
"Kenshin...it's happened already. You can't change that now." He removed his   
hand, staring out at the water, the glare causing the cast of a red hue on his   
face.  
Kenshin nodded in response. He knew...he already accepted Tomoe's death, and   
realized that he had to move on with his life. But why did the past always have   
to creep back on him...like it didn't want to let him go?  
Because he hadn't let go. Not fully. He thought he had...but maybe he was just   
in denial.  
  
"Sano...tell Kaoru I'll be back later." He turned, heading away from his friend.  
"Kenshin, wait! You're not leaving again!"  
"I'm not leaving...I'm going to Tomoe's grave. Maybe.... something will come to   
me."  
Relieved, Sanosuke headed back to the dojo to give Jo-chan the news. After,   
maybe he could tell a certain brunette fox about recent news...  
  
Kenshin had constructed a small memorial gravestone for Tomoe prior to Kenji's   
birth, seeing as Kaoru convinced him that it would be unreasonable to always   
travel to Kyoto to honour her grave. He dropped to his knees, pressing his open   
palms together.  
  
"Why didn't you follow him?!" Kaoru bounced Kenji on her knee.  
"Jo-chan, the guy wants some time to himself. Respect that!" Surprisingly,   
Sanosuke was actually starting to sound more and more...mature.  
"Guess I should put off dinner for a little while."  
  
"What should I do?" He voiced his thoughts to Tomoe out loud.... it somewhat   
make him feel more like he was actually talking to her. Of course, anyone   
passing by would think he was crazy...like Enishi.  
A faint whisper interrupted whatever answer he hoped to get. "You should die   
quietly..."  
Startled, Kenshin jumped to his feet, his eyes darted around the secluded spot   
to see who his pursuer was. "Show yourself. I don't want anyone to get hurt."  
"Funny choice of words, 'father'. Since you've already caused me sufficient   
pain." In the shadows, a glint of purple gave Kenshin the answer to who it was.  
"Yoriko. I..." He stopped himself. How could he tell her? He had a feeling that   
it would be difficult for her to forgive him. "I'm sorry.... but you didn't give   
me the chance to tell you everything."  
"Oh, I heard everything I needed to hear." She emerged from the shadows, a   
frightening scowl on her face...with golden eyes glaring at him.  
He gasped, shocked from the sight. It was like looking at a reflection of   
himself from 18 years ago...Battousai. "Please...I know you're angry." Was this   
fear he was feeling? Fear that his own daughter might...could...would kill him?  
But before he could full finish his sentence, she had charged at him. Unarmed,   
there really wasn't much he could do, except dodge her attacks. But he knew that   
she wasn't the one he should be defending himself from, as he instinctively felt   
another presence. As Murasaki charged again, he dodged easily, but grabbed the   
back of her shirt, and rammed her back into his lifted knee. She shook, then   
keeled forward from the pain, finding it difficult to breathe, as the yellow in   
her eyes began to fade.  
  
He took the sword from her hand; she gave little resistance. "Show yourself."   
The familiar feeling of a sword in his hand gave him some confidence that he   
could beat his opponent...but this was not his sakabatou...and he was not on the   
road to spilling any more blood.  
"Himura Battousai." Shiro Hyo showed herself, her facing showing little emotion.   
"Killing your wife, leaving your daughter with a family to take care of her   
while you wondered your years.... and now you've found your own home." Her face   
turned to a sarcastic expression of sorrow. "Do you think it was fair of you to   
leave Murasaki out of it? Not to mention the fact that you left her out of this   
tale when you revealed your past to your friends. What? Were you ashamed of her?   
Ashamed of having a child out of wedlock?"  
Her words were directed more at Murasaki than Kenshin, as she knew that hearing   
these words would only cause better results. The golden glow in Murasaki's eyes   
returned, her eyes glaring at Kenshin.  
"That's true, isn't it?" Murasaki asked. Her 2 glowing flames of gold met his   
soft cool violet-blue ones.  
Left her out of the story? Shouldn't he have wanted to go and look for her when   
he found this new home? Could he have forgotten about his one and only daughter?   
His FIRST child? Did his grief for Tomoe cloud his mind from the fact that he   
had a child with her?  
His long hesitation gave Murasaki the answer that she wanted. "I wish I wasn't   
your daughter! I hate you!"  
Kenshin swallowed hard, holding back whatever tears that wanted to creep to his   
eyes, but he forced his voice to be strong. "Can we talk about this, please?"  
"The last thing I want to do is even see you!" The golden glow grew brighter,   
her calm paces nearing towards him. The blade fell from his hand...he deserved   
to die after the way he had treated her...forgetting about his one and only   
child.   
"You're right...take my life."  
Satisfied, she slowly took the blade from the ground, her hatred blinding what   
little love she had left for her own father. Her hands gripped tightly on the   
hilt as she raised it above her head for the final blow.  
  
"No!"  
  
Unsatisfied with this sight, Shiro leapt in the way, blocking Murasaki's sword.   
Instead, the purple sword flew out of her hands; this was an unexpected change.  
"Not that easily." Her glances exchanged from Kenshin back to Murasaki. "I want   
a real fight...not the Battousai giving up so easily." With these last words,   
her glance returned to Kenshin, a coy smile on her lips. "I know you have more   
fight than that...I want to see the Battousai, not Himura Kenshin."  
"...never again." His eyes had been focused on the ground the entire time, but   
now they peered angrily at Shiro. "There is no more Battousai."  
"Really now? You see..." she sidestepped so Kenshin's eyes fell on Murasaki's.   
"A bit of the Battousai exists in her...the drive to kill...the drive to   
destroy...to take life as she sees fit. There's no possible way you can say you   
don't see yourself in her. Even the same fate..." She motioned to the scar on   
Kenshin's cheek and the one over Murasaki's left eye. "A family bloodline   
forever to be scarred."  
"That's because you're using her! Like I was used!" He took a step forward, but   
Shiro blocked his way. He wanted to get to his daughter and try to talk some   
sense back into her. "Yoriko! Please! Let me explain..."  
"Enough talk." Shiro replaced one of her blades into the sheath on her back.   
With the same quick motion, she backhanded him across the face, sending him onto   
his back. "Words aren't going to take away your daughter's pain." She cracked   
her knuckles, looking over at Murasaki. The golden glow had died, but she could   
tell that the hate in her heart in her remained. "C'mon..." she nodded over to   
her, signaling that they should leave.  
"Yoriko...please wait..." He wiped the trickle of blood from the side of his   
mouth; his tongue checked his teeth to ensure none of them were loose or   
missing. His other hand reached for his daughter...he only hoped that he would   
feel the warmth of her hand in his to show that she would listen.  
  
But that didn't happen. With a swift kick to the side of his ribs from Shiro,   
the life and breath flew out of him. A blurred image of Murasaki's face glared   
down at him...it pained him...not the physical pain: the emotional pain of a   
child turning on his parent. He could no longer bear the pain anymore.... before   
finally falling unconscious, the words returned to his mind:  
  
"I wish I wasn't your daughter! I hate you!"  
  
A single tear ran down his cheek. 


	6. Chapter Six of Eleven

"Kenshin! Kenshin!"  
  
He turned to see a small brunette with her back to him. She was kneeling on the   
ground, cradling their child in her arms. He dragged himself over, sitting   
beside her.  
"She won't eat anything...." Tomoe was uneasy. Yoriko refused to eat anything,   
and this worried the poor mother greatly.  
Kenshin only chuckled softly to himself. "Maybe she's just full..." He wrinkled   
his nose a bit. "And also needs a diaper change." He pinched his nostrils to   
keep away the smell.  
Ashamed, Tomoe carried Yoriko to the bedroom to change her cloth diaper. I   
should be used to this by now, she thought. Their child was already 3 months   
old, and yet she could never tell what Yoriko needed.  
Sensing her distress, Kenshin followed her for reassurance. Yes, Tomoe knew how   
to change a dirty diaper...but she always blamed herself whenever Yoriko was   
crying...or not doing something Tomoe thought she was supposed to do.  
"You should be more sure of yourself. You're doing fine as a parent." Kenshin   
stood to her side as she removed Yoriko's tiny clothes.  
"You always say that.... only to reassure me. She's my child...shouldn't I have   
gotten used to her feeding and changing habits by now?"  
"Well, she is a growing child...you're just nervous and unsure about yourself."   
He held out his finger for his daughter to grip onto with her tiny chubby hand.   
She gripped onto it tightly, much stronger than Kenshin thought she could.  
  
The life of this tiny child...such a contrast from what he used to be. He took   
others lives.... for a better future.....? Was that right? If someone came and   
killed his wife and child.... could he really believe that that would be a step   
closer to a better future? Conflicting ideas and thoughts swarmed his mind.   
Katsura had told him to lie low until he was needed again.... but could he   
really return to that life...to return to killing?  
  
Overwhelmed with emotion, he placed his other arm around Tomoe's waist, drawing   
her a bit closer to him. When she was finished changing Yoriko, she returned the   
offer, placing hers own around his, resting her head on his shoulder.  
"A place where you won't have to use your sword..." she whispered, smiling down   
at her daughter kicking her feet at the air.  
"Yes, I remember those words." He rested his head on hers. "But.... do you think   
that's temporary?"  
".........I know Katsura will need you again soon."  
"Maybe.............maybe not." At this, he turned to smile at her lovingly.  
"Do...do you mean that...." Surprised, tears of joy rushed to her eyes. Seeing   
the answer in his, she enveloped his small frame in her arms. Of course, they're   
loving moment was interrupted by the gurgling and giggles of their daughter.  
"Guess she wants some attention too." Kenshin broke from Tomoe's embrace,   
picking Yoriko up from her back. He held her over his head at the full length of   
his arms. "Don't you?" He brought her down to his face, so that their noses   
touched. In the same instant, he tossed her into the air. He caught her as   
gently as he could, making sure he hadn't caused any harm.  
  
This felt like a REAL life.  
  
It was the next afternoon...Kenshin held his dieing, bloody wife on the ground.  
  
"Please don't cry...the last thing I want to see is your smile." She smiled   
sadly up at him, the life draining from her. The sealed fate of his cross scar   
dripped down his cheek falling onto hers.... it almost seemed to trace the same   
horizontal cut that was recently made on Kenshin's face. "I know what you need   
to do.... place her with a caring family."  
  
"Never. I can..."  
She interrupted. "Katsura is going to come back. Would you really want to hold   
your daughter with your bloodied hands?"  
She had made her point. Kenshin had vowed that there was no way he was going to   
return to that life.... but things needed to be done. Nothing would change if he   
remained selfish, and he could only bring danger into his daughter's life. Soon,   
someone would want his head.... and there was no way he was willing to leave his   
daughter father-less.  
He nodded. Tears streamed down his face, washing Tomoe's bloodied cheeks. "Just   
know that I always love you."  
She struggled through the blood surfacing to her throat. ".... and....I....   
you..." Her eyes closed peacefully.  
  
"Kenshin! Kenshin!"  
  
He winced, struggling to open his heavy eyelids. Blurred faces of Megumi and   
Yahiko hung over him. Startled and surprised, he pulled himself to sitting   
position, but winced from a sharp pain in his side. The final memories of what   
took place earlier returned to his mind.  
"Are you alright, Kenshin?" Megumi tried to get Kenshin to return to his back so   
as not to cause any more damage. Luckily, he reluctantly returned to lying   
position, as he covered his eyes with the back of his hand.  
"Where is she?" "We don't know..." Kaoru answered. She walked from the doorway   
to his side, placing her hand in his for comfort. "I.... we were all worried   
about you. We came to look for you when we realized how late it was and you   
weren't back yet. I..." Kaoru coughed, struggling with a lump of emotion in her   
throat. She was worried that maybe he had decided to leave again.... or worse...  
"Kaoru..." Kenshin gently squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry for making you worry."  
"You didn't look too good when we found you." Sanosuke stepped up to his side,   
his hands in his pockets. "But it wasn't anything the fox couldn't handle."  
Megumi glared at him for only a second, but returned her concern to Kenshin.   
"Luckily, no major organs were injured. Just bruises."  
"Thank you, Megumi." Kenshin nodded. Sometimes, he thought that he relied on her   
too much.... she was always there to patch him back up whenever he went off and   
got hurt.  
"No...thank you, Ken-san. For giving me a chance to see you." She winked slyly.   
Kaoru knew better than to get upset. Megumi would never change, but she admitted   
to Kaoru that there was no place in Kenshin's heart for her...that his heart was   
already full of love for the shinai-wielding raccoon.  
  
"Mind telling us what happened, Kenshin?" Yahiko supported Kenshin's right side   
while Sanosuke was on the left, Kaoru trailing a bit behind.  
Kenshin only shook his head. He didn't need to tell them; anyone could suspect   
what happened. "She.... wishes I wasn't her father...." Saying those words   
caused so much grief to swell up in him. He swallowed hard. He had never felt   
this much grief since.... since he was child.... no, since Enishi played that   
terrifying trick of Kaoru's death...that was the ultimate depth of his   
depression. And now, he felt himself swaying on the very edge of that same   
abyss.  
The Kenshin-gumi, sans Megumi, finally returned to the dojo, easing Kenshin   
through the doorway to make sure his bruises and bandages remained unhurt. They   
gently placed him on his mat, leaving him in Kaoru's care.  
"We'll take care of the kid." Sanosuke winked before leaving with Yahiko.  
  
Kaoru always felt so vulnerable in front of him. Like his piercing violet-blue   
eyes could see exactly what was in her mind...in her heart. Most times, words   
didn't need to be exchanged for them to understand each other's feelings...this   
was what made her love him so much.... and he her.  
  
"Kenshin...." she avoided her eyes making contact with his, but it was hopeless;   
she knew he was looking at her.... she could feel his eyes on her.  
He patted a spot beside his mat, beckoning him to his side. "It's alright..."  
"Oh Kenshin!" She rushed to his side, flinging her arms around his neck. "Every   
time you take things upon yourself...you end up getting hurt. Seeing   
bruises...cuts...and harm done to you...it hurts me just as much." She sobbed   
between words, her tears rolling down his back. It was a cool refreshing   
sensation; he smiled, comforting her with his arms around her.  
"I know.... that's why I've tried to end that life. So that people would just   
leave us alone. I just want a peaceful life with you here, Kaoru." He nudged her   
away a bit so that he could see her face. His fingers wiped the tears from her   
cheeks, and any that had surfaced on her lids.  
She smiled, leaning into his head, feeling the deft of his fingers against her   
cheek. "Do you think that's possible with those three out there?"  
She chuckled, hearing shouts and giggling from outside.  
"That may be a bit difficult, but you know how they are."  
Kaoru nodded, planting a small kiss on his cheek.  
"Kaoru?"  
"Yes, Kenshin?"  
  
"Would you mind asking Sano and Yahiko to take Kenji out for the evening?"  
  
Her cheeks flushed a light red, unsure of what his intentions for the later part   
of the day were, but she had an idea.  
"Yes." She flashed a smile at him, almost as if she were flirting with him.   
Surprising, he returned the same kind of smile. "Just rest now." She pulled   
herself to her feet and left Kenshin to his rest.  
His head returned to the mat, while his hand felt his side to see the extent of   
the damage done to him.  
  
Sanosuke was playfully chasing Kenji around the yard, Yahiko on his back   
laughing. Kenji had apparently placed a bucket of water beneath Sano right   
before he was about to sit down.  
"C'mere, you!" Sano finally caught him by the back of his shirt, picking him up   
with no effort. "Ha! Who's laughing now?"  
"Aw, c'mon uncle Sano. Lemme go!"  
""Uncle" Sano? Where'd you learn that from, kid?" Sanosuke twisted the shirt,   
causing Kenji to face him, as he peered at the little redhead with a raised   
eyebrow.  
"That's what mommy said I should call you. You and uncle Yahiko and aunt Megumi   
and aunt Tae and aunt Tsubame and aunt Misao and uncle Aoshi..."  
"Uncle Aoshi?!?!?" Yahiko and Sanosuke both asked at the same time. Had Kaoru   
and Kenshin lost their minds? Giving someone like Aoshi even an ounce of   
responsibility for a child?  
"Uh huh."  
"Kid, between you and me..." Sano brought him closer. "I think you're mother's   
probably lost it."  
"Lost what?"  
"Yes, lost WHAT, Sanosuke?" "Eek!" Sanosuke let out a yelp. The three spun their   
heads around to see a smirking Kaoru on the porch.  
"Eh heh heh heh." Sano gently placed Kenji on the ground, wondering how much of   
the conversation she had heard. "Did I say lost? I meant..." But she cut him   
off.  
"Aoshi took care of Misao when she was younger. And look how she turned out."  
"That's not a very good example, Kaoru." 


	7. Chapter Seven of Eleven

She slipped underneath the covers next to him. It seemed like an   
eternity since they were like this together.  
  
Alone.  
  
With nothing but each other for 'entertainment'.  
  
"Kenshin..."  
Kaoru barely got the words out before her lips were covered with his. She had   
forgotten how strong this man's passion was...and how strongly he could display   
it. But those thoughts were driven from her mind very quickly as she brought   
herself closer to him.  
  
This feeling...this warmth...she missed it so much. It was difficult to compare   
this same man- her husband- to a man who took countless lives many years ago.   
The same hands that held a bloodstained sword were now soft and warm on her   
back. Those hands felt so contradictory to her. His small finely structured   
fingers felt so wonderful and warm against her, yet she could always feel the   
strength within them whenever he touched her.  
  
And now she could feel that strength yet again.  
  
But not everyone was happy.  
  
Kenji sat on Sanosuke's shoulders, Yahiko walking alongside. Sano let out a sigh   
of frustration.  
"Why do we have to take care of the kid?"  
"Like you wouldn't want us to do the same for you and Megumi if you ever decided   
to have a child." Yahiko retorted.  
"Hmph. That's highly unlikely."  
"Everyone knows there's something between the two of you." Yahiko nudged him in   
the side with his elbow. "Right, Kenji?" He glanced up at the redheaded youth.  
"Uh huh." He tugged on a fistful of Sano's hair. "When're you and aunt Megumi   
gonna get married, uncle Sano?"  
"Try never, kid." A bead of sweat ran down his face from frustration. "Now, you   
better be hungry, or both of you would have made me walk all the way here for   
nothing."  
  
Arms enveloped each other; the two faced each other, noses almost touching.  
"You know how much I love you, Kaoru?"  
She didn't need to answer. She knew. And he knew how much she did for him. Her   
finger traced down the bridge of his nose, stopping on his lips, as if she were   
quieting a child.  
"And yet you still ask such a silly question?" She smiled lovingly.  
He chuckled softly to himself. "Forgive me.... I just thought someone needed to   
say something one time or another."  
  
"Then let it be me."  
  
Shocked at the third voice, they turned their heads to the direction of the   
source. At first, they could see nothing but the dark corner. But the more they   
kept their eyes fixed on that spot, a figure became more and more clear to them.  
"How long have you been there, Yoriko?"  
"Well, if you're asking me if I saw your little bed romp, 'father'..." She was   
crouching, but she now stood to her feet. "...I left when I realized you two   
needed your time alone...and returned when I thought you would be finished." Her   
tone made their recent act sound more like a chore than an act of intimacy.   
"Just think of it as my gift to you for telling your bitch one last goodbye." A   
ray of moonlight found it's way through a small space in the wall and onto her   
eyes.  
  
They had returned to the faint familiar glow of a deep yellow.  
  
Kenshin reached for his clothes so that he could make himself   
more..."approachable". "Yoriko, please apologize to my wife. That isn't the set   
of manners I taught you."  
"Taught me!? What did you EVER teach me? You left me when I was merely a child!   
The only thing you taught me is pain."  
"That...that's not true." His head lowered, the moonlight casting a faint light   
blue ring onto his hair, with the appearance of a tiny halo. He swallowed hard.   
"Don't...don't you remember?"  
"Remember what? The day you killed my mother?"  
  
Those words caused his head to jerk up, his eyes meeting hers. Memories of his   
first love returned to his mind, clouding his thoughts somewhat.  
  
"You were never there! You don't know what happened! That girl is manipulating   
you!" His voice wavered in a tone of anger, as he tried his best to control his   
emotions from getting out of hand.  
"Manipulating? Hmph. You're one to talk." She smirked, as her steps began   
bearing down on the couple. A reflection of the moonlight on her sword caused a   
thin purple line to appear across Kenshin's chest.  
  
"Mmmmm..... that was GOOD!" Yahiko wiped the rice from his face with the back of   
his hand. Sano had finished eating a long time ago and was waiting outside.   
Kenji, on the other hand, had decided that his dinner would be better strewn   
across the table and the floor (not to mention everyone's hair) than to be   
eaten.  
"You're welcome." Megumi nodded politely to him, brushing grains of rice from   
her kimono into her lap so that they could be cleaned away easily.  
"Would you mind..." Yahiko scratched the back of his head; the same way Sanosuke   
did in his moments of embarrassment.  
"What is it?"  
"Would you mind if I had another serving?" He smiled, embarrassed.  
"Not at all." She returned to the kitchen, bringing out more food to fill the   
hungry boy's plate. Kenji was nodding off; he had made himself tired from   
playing his 'game'. Megumi took the child and gently placed him on a number of   
cushions across the table from Yahiko; someone needed to watch the child while   
she 'took a break'.  
  
She wandered onto the porch, only stopping a few feet from Sanosuke. The outline   
of his form against the cloudless night sky was overwhelming...save the reckless   
mess of hair.  
"Sanosuke..."  
"Foxy. What brings you here?" Immediately, his tone became defensive. She   
journeyed the rest of the way to his side, turning to face him. Of course, Sano   
kept his eyes forward, not really thinking of anything in particular. But that   
didn't mean he wanted himself to appear that way.  
Surprisingly, her hand ran up his arm of his sleeve to his shoulder and then to   
his cheek. A faint pink rose to his cheeks.  
"You still have some rice on you." She brushed a few grains from his hair, and   
then fished one out of sideburns close to his ear. She tried her best not to   
smile at the hilarious scene of a blushing Sanosuke.  
"Her fingers...damn them!" Sano had closed his eyes, an attempt to hide what his   
thoughts were. That one moment...her touch near his ear...a sudden hot-cold   
tingle shot from his neck to the base of his back. He gritted his teeth, telling   
himself not to think about it...only that didn't last for very long.  
  
She was bearing down on him, her glance remaining unchanged; Kenshin's did as   
well. Kaoru was left to herself to watch the terrible conflict between father   
and child.  
"Stop it!" she let out a shrill scream. She couldn't stand this anymore. She had   
already gone through enough stress with Kenshin's previous encounters.... and   
injuries. She couldn't deal with again...not anymore. Her eyes were close to   
tears when she spoke. "He's sorry.... please...stop this."  
Murasaki's eyes darted to her, as if she were noticing her for the first time,   
unaware of her presence. "You think it's that easy? That he can just apologize   
and make everything better? Do you even know what's it like to be forgotten? DO   
YOU?!" The golden glow faded as a bit of Murasaki's sensible returned to   
consciousness.  
"I keep telling you, I didn't forget..." But Kenshin was cut off.  
"I was talking to her." Murasaki's scowl wiped the rest of his words from his   
mind.  
  
Instead of fighting, Kaoru decided to simply talk to her. That might even calm   
her down to her senses. Or even better...distract her so that Kenshin could pry   
the weapon from her hands.  
  
"Not forgotten exactly..." her head lowered as the memories returned. "I   
was..."abandoned" is more the word." Her gaze lifted to Kenshin's back.  
Without turning around, he knew she was referring to the moment he told her   
goodbye...that he decided to return to wandering once again.  
"I'm so sorry, Kaoru. I..."  
"Yes, Kenshin. I forgave you for that a long time ago." She nodded. "You had   
your reasons, and I understand."  
He chuckled to himself, despite his predicament. "It took you some time,   
though."  
She smiled in return. "You deserved it."  
"Enough of this idle chatter! What are you trying to get at?" Murasaki had   
broken the small amount of joy that the two had just shared. "What's your   
point?"  
  
"Is something wrong?" Megumi glanced up at him quizzically, disturbing the   
silence.  
Sano coughed nervously as he returned from his thoughts. He disliked these kinds   
of situations...and yet...he wanted these moments alone with her so much.  
"No...everything's alright." He tried changing the subject. "The kid asleep?"  
"Yes. Yahiko's watching over him."  
  
Silence  
  
Could he convince himself to say the words that dwelled in his mind for so long?  
"Sanosuke..."  
"Yeah, Foxy?"  
Her tone changed to anger, to Sanosuke's surprise. "I'm tired of this..."  
"You could go to bed." Sano said, ignoring the tone in her voice, as well as   
what she was trying to insinuate.  
A stinging sensation crossed his cheek where Megumi's hand met his face. Both   
stood facing each other in silence, as Megumi lowered her hand to her side.  
"Good night Sanosuke." She turned to enter the house. But Sano's arm on her   
sleeve stopped her.  
"Just forget it..." She didn't get a chance to finish her words. Sanosuke spun   
her around by her sleeve, pulling her towards him at the same time.  
"I...I know what you're talking about. But don't think that I haven't tried   
before to show you."  
"Well, show me now. Show me what you've been wanting to."  
His hand traced her delicate jaw line to her chin, urging her lips towards his.  
  
"My point is that your father has his reasons for what he did. And you should   
try to understand that." Kaoru finally brought herself to her feet, the bed   
sheets wrapped around her.  
"My 'father' abandoned me for his own selfish reasons." She had stopped her pace   
towards Kenshin. Now she only stood a few feet away from him, but her face was   
on Kaoru.  
"Have you asked him his reasons?" Kaoru crossed her arms, knowing that Murasaki   
still had no idea about the truth of her mother.  
  
Kenshin could pick up on Kaoru's idea of trying to distract her. Slowly, he   
gradually neared himself closer and closer to Murasaki, without her notice.   
Hoping that the plan had worked, his hand lashed out for Murasaki's wrist,   
hoping to render her harmless with a simple twist to place her in an arm lock.  
Surprisingly, Murasaki was able to notice the movement in the corner of her eye   
and managed to avoid the grip just in time. She glared at Kaoru; obviously she   
could guess what this girl's plan was.  
"You....!" Her eyes narrowed on Kaoru.  
"Yoriko, no!" Kenshin leapt in the way. "Your little tiff is with me."  
"2 birds with one stone, as they say." She charged towards him, knowing that   
when this man was dead, she would take the life of his loved one as well.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Blood sprayed into the air, the droplets finding their way to the floor, forming   
a beautiful but morbid design of a crimson rose. 


	8. Chapter Eight of Eleven

"What's wrong with you two?!"  
  
Yahiko had interrupted their intimate moment, only to receive blows from both   
sides in the head.  
"What's wrong with you, retard?!" Sano clenched his fists. He couldn't believe   
that the exact moment he decided to tell Megumi his feelings, this runt ruined   
it. Megumi only shook her head, thinking along the same wavelength as Sanosuke.  
"It's alright, Sanosuke. Just forget it." Megumi retreated inside to fetch   
Kenji.  
"Megumi..."  
  
But the words fell upon deaf ears.  
  
And the four walls of her house only saw Megumi's tears.  
  
Sano sighed angrily, his hands shoved into his pockets. Yahiko carried Kenji on   
his shoulders, pondering what could have gotten the chicken-head and the fox so   
upset.  
  
And then it hit him like a brick.  
  
He slapped his forehead. "Sano...I'm sor-"  
"I don't need your apologies. Just...just forget it." He gruffed, glaring at the   
redheaded terror from the corners of his eyes. His thoughts began to stray for a   
moment.  
  
"What would one of my kids look like?"  
  
Little did he know that he had stopped in his tracks.  
  
"What the hell am I thinking?!???!"  
But Yahiko was too caught up in his own guilt to realize that Sanosuke was no   
longer at his side.  
  
Murasaki untied her blue sash from her waist to wipe the blood from her blade.   
She had no idea that she could drive her blade that far through a person.  
Kenshin and Kaoru were both on the ground, surrounded by a crimson pool. Kaoru   
was the first to awaken: red. That's all she could see around her. The bed sheet   
she had wrapped around herself was stained red; she lifted her hands to her   
face: red. She turned to her husband to ensure he was all right: his red hair   
had come undone from the small ponytail he had managed to tie it into.  
"Kenshin! Kenshin!" She stretched towards Kenshin to shake him to consciousness,   
but a stabbing pain in her shoulder prevented her from doing so.  
Kenshin mumbled, coming to from unconsciousness. He held his head and struggled   
to open his eyes, only to see the pool of red around him.  
"Kaoru...no...." He darted his eyes to the direction he thought his wife was.   
The sight of her sitting upright holding her shoulder quickly comforted him.   
"Are you alright?" He reached his hand to comfort her, but a sharp pain cut off   
his touch from reaching her. His hand painfully rested on his chest.  
  
"Damn lucky." Murasaki re-tied her sash around her waist, pulling her shirt over   
the area where the bloodstain was. "Your girlfriend here jumped in the   
way...luckily." Her eyes fell on Kaoru. "Course, now you know the blade's gone   
right through the shoulder. You should thank her. Could've been your chest   
instead."  
Kenshin glared up at the uncaring eyes of his daughter...the daughter he loved   
and cared for. But he saw no trace of her left in the golden hue of her eyes.  
"That's enough, Yoriko. I was satisfied with you waiting to take my life for   
what you've been through. But trying to kill my family...taking my loved ones   
away from me...that's just going too far." He brought himself to his feet, but   
not without some pain. On the other hand, he had been through many pains and   
cuts before, so this was nothing.  
"Ironic, don't you think? A life for a life. You take my mother away from me, I   
take away your whore."  
The words resounded in his head. His was tired of hearing this, of all these   
assumptions.   
  
Was she really calling his own beloved wife a whore?  
  
The one who cared from him in his times of need?  
  
The one who comforted in his bad times?  
  
The one who was always there to give him a smile?  
  
The one who was strong enough to protect the honour of her father so many years   
ago all by herself?  
  
The one who mothered his child?  
  
His child.... Kenji.... what if he's next?  
  
An image of his dead son hit him like a bullet in the chest. He couldn't put up   
with that.  
  
Anger rose in his chest. His glare grew more and more fierce towards the young   
girl.  
  
A yellow glow, long gone, returned once more to the kind and gentle husband and   
father.  
  
And Kaoru could sense it.  
  
Please...not again....  
  
The last time she was unable to bring the Battousai out of Kenshin, and she   
prayed that an event like that would never happen again.  
"Kenshin..." She choked on her tears, afraid of what was to come. Her hands   
found his ankles; she clung onto them so tightly, not caring if he reacted   
wrongly by striking her. She didn't want to lose him ever again.  
  
"Aha! The Battousai." Shiro stood by the window. No one had any idea how long   
she was there for, or that she was even there for that matter.  
2 pairs of golden eyes drifted to the new visitor. But neither cared what her   
intentions were.  
"Kenshin...you promised...please...you said so yourself that the Battousai would   
never return...please...come back, Kenshin..." Kaoru's tears fell to the ground,   
dampening the soles of his socks.  
  
But the Hitokiri didn't care.  
  
He neared towards Murasaki...only to meet Shiro's eyes instead.  
"What are you doing?" Murasaki was confused. She was the one that wanted to face   
her father. She thought that's what Shiro wanted, as well.  
"Getting what I came for. Now be quiet." She backhanded her across the face,   
only to hit air.  
  
?  
  
She had forgotten...instincts and movements were much quicker when this   
"battousai trait" was released.  
Murasaki had ducked under the attack, delivering a sweep-kick to the side of   
Shiro's knee. At least she could have a warm-up before she finished her father   
off.  
  
As the 2 dueled, Kaoru continued her pleas to Kenshin. She only prayed that her   
words would find their way to his ears; she prayed that those words could also   
bring her husband back to her.  
  
But they all failed.  
  
A last resort: she pulled herself to her feet, regardless of how shaky they   
felt.  
  
And she kissed him.  
  
A long passionate kiss.  
  
Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kenji had finally arrived at the dojo.  
"Well, we're back home." Yahiko nudged Sanosuke in the ribs with his elbow.   
"Think everything went ok?" He winked.  
But Sanosuke refused to answer; he was still upset about what happened earlier.   
However, the silence didn't remain for long.  
Two shadows crashed through the front door onto the ground, remaining   
motionless.  
"I'll say everything went just as planned" Sano replied sarcastically, rushing   
over to see what the commotion was.  
  
Kaoru shut her eyes tight. She last thing she remembered before feeling herself   
propelled backwards was Kenshin pulling away from her, staring at her   
bewildered. And then, he lunged at her. "He's...actually going to...."  
She still felt him over her, waiting for his hand to strike...to feel pain of   
any kind. What seemed like merely seconds, felt like years to her.  
"Sano...Yahiko...please take of Kenji..." she muttered, her eyes still remaining   
tightly shut.  
"You're going to leave it up to those two to take care of our son?"  
That voice...  
It startled her, causing her to open her eyes in surprise. What she saw was not   
the golden glow of death, but the violet-blue kindness of her husband. His short   
orange shock of hair, now dulled by the blue hue of the night, fell over one   
shoulder. He smiled gently at her, with a hint of almost laughing.  
"You 2 ok?" Sano rushed up from behind.  
Kaoru and Kenshin looked from each other, to Sanosuke, and back to each other,   
only to smile. "Couldn't be better," they replied in unison.  
  
"I thought I would get the chance to kill him!" Murasaki darted around the room,   
getting her hits in when she could, and then retreating, knowing that Shiro was   
still more skilled.  
"Ha! You thought wrong! You were only a pawn to bring out the Battousai." Shiro   
smirked, knowing that all the elements of her plan had basically come together.  
"Bitch..." Murasaki rushed head long, blinded by her rage and stubbornness.   
Shiro easily sidestepped the attack, slashing her blade across Murasaki's back.  
  
"A scream!" Yahiko faced the dojo, eager to know what was going on inside.   
Kenji, on the other hand, was startled by the sudden sound and now awoke out of   
his slumber. Seeing the concern on everyone's face, she reached for the sleeve   
of his father's clothes.  
"What was that, Papa?"  
Kenshin patted his son's head. "Nothing you need to worry about. Papa will fix   
it."  
"Not alone, you're not." Sano lightly punched Kenshin in the back. Of course, he   
always underestimated his strength, leaving Kenshin winded.  
As usual, Yahiko was left with Kaoru and Kenji to protect them in case the fight   
strayed to outside. As Sano and Kenshin watched the feud from the safety of the   
doorway into the bedroom, Kenshin noted that there were 2 pairs of glowing   
eyes....?  
He had only one daughter.  
  
And that was with Yukishiro Tomoe.....?  
  
Before Sanosuke could blink, Kenshin was between the 2 foes; he had a firm grip   
on their hands, prevented their blades from striking at the other. His attention   
was fixed on Shiro.  
"Your eyes..."  
But he didn't need to finish the question.   
"You can thank Enishi for them." Shiro smiled evilly. 


	9. Chapter Nine of Eleven

"Enishi???!!"  
  
Just what exactly would Yukishiro Enishi have to do with this situation?  
  
  
"By the looks on your faces, I can tell that I'm going to have to resort to   
explaning myself." Shiro retreated comfortably to a dark corner of the room,   
sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. The other 3, however, were not   
willing to take the risk of being at ease. "Your wife....she 'died' once, didn't   
she?"  
"Kaoru...?" Died? When? Kenshin repeated these questions to himself...if Kaoru   
died, how could she be here now with him?  
Sanosuke struck his palm with his fist. "I got it! The doll! The one that Enishi   
made to look like Kaoru."  
"Ah...I see now." Kenshin was surprised himself that Sano could recall that   
incident.  
Murasaki was lost to the entire conversation, not that she was really interested   
in it to begin with.  
"Give a prize to the chicken-head." Shiro smirked.  
"What exactly are you trying to get at?" Kenshin questioned.  
"The doll and I are the same. Except for the possibility to move, live and   
breathe."  
  
"You......you're not human?"  
Shiro burst into laughter. "Of course not. Murasaki would probably be the only   
that had any sort of clue, right?" She directed her question towards Murasaki.   
"Ever thought about those times that my cuts rarely bled no matter how deep you   
thought you cut me?"  
Recalling, Murasaki realised that even those times when she pushed herself to   
the max in her battles against Shiro, her foe never showed any signs of fatigue,   
nor did any battle scars remain.  
  
"Anyhow, it's too late now." Shiro charged at Kenshin. "If Murasaki was able to   
bring out the Battousai, so can I." Kenshin braced himself into a defense   
position, only to feel a small wind pass him.  
  
?   
  
Kaoru!  
Why did all his enemies resort to her? Hasn't she suffered enough?  
"Sano! She's going for Kaoru and the others!"  
"Then what are you waiting for?" Sano grabbed Kenshin's shoulder and dragged him   
along. But a voice stopped them.  
"You're not going anywhere."  
  
Sanosuke managed to steal out; Jo-chan couldn't die...not now. She had so much   
more of her life to live...a husband...a child...maybe even more children.  
  
*sigh* "How long're they going to take?" Yahiko paced back and forth. "They   
should've been finished by now..."  
"She's his own daughter, Yahiko!" Kaoru's hand found the back of his head with a   
quick slap, cradling Kenji in the other.  
"Ow! My head's gotten enough beating for one night."  
"You have no idea what's going through Kenshin's head...what can he do when his   
only daughter wants to kill him?"  
Kenji giggled with delight; he enjoyed seeing his mother mouth off his uncles,   
as they never an argument of defence. But his fun usually ended when his father   
came to their rescue.  
  
But his giggling was cut short.  
  
"Please let me save my child." His emotions were so mixed and confused: pain for   
seeing the blood-thirsty look in his daughter's eyes, anxiety for wanting to   
hold her in his arms again, a longing to just end this for his family's and   
friends' lives, anger towards the one who caused all this pain to begin with...  
  
Enishi...  
  
I guess those from your past stay with you forever.  
  
"And why should I?" Her expression was stone-faced and cold.  
"Put yourself in my place..."  
"In the first place, I wouldn't abandon my child and kill my spouse."  
"I'm tired of this..." Kenshin shook his head. "Those words...over and over   
again...I'm so tired of them! And yet, you will never give me the chance to   
explain!"  
"You never needed to." Murasaki untied the purple pendant from her sword hilt,   
holding it gently in the palm of her hand. "Ever since I've been here...since I   
met you...it's colour grew more and more dull. Like it were mourning...like life   
itself was being drained from it."  
"Where...?" But he didn't need to ask. The hue instantly reminded him of the   
royal purple shade of Tomoe's silk sash. How it adorned her shoulders,   
comforting her small frame like a pair of protective arms.  
"This was the only thing that she and I shared between ourselves secretly...must   
have been if you don't know about it."  
"Then can I make a request? Forgive me and give me a chance...let us create   
something that we can call our own. I know that I can probably never be a father   
figure to you, but can I at least start over as a friend?"  
"So that you can hurt me all over again? No thanks."  
  
"Let him go now, witch!" Yahiko had a tight grip on his shinai; Kaoru stood   
behind him, in shock from the sight before her.  
Shiro was holding Kenji by the waist of his pants, a small dagger in the other   
hand.  
"You. Come with me, or the kid dies."  
"And how do I know you'll keep to your word?" Yahiko spoke for Kaoru, knowing   
that she was not in any state to really answer.  
"You don't." She sneered. "BUt what choice do you have?"  
"I'll....I'll go."  
"Kaoru! No!"  
But it was too late. She was already half-way between the two. And any move   
Yahiko could make would cause the loss of 2 lives.  
"Good girl. See, Mommy's a nice girl. And I don't need you anymore." Without   
hesitation, she tossed Kenji into the air behind her.  
"NO!"  
Kenji stopped a few inches above the ground; a bandaged hand clasped on the   
small boy's shirt.  
"Guess I did keep my word." She spoke to Sano without facing him. "And nice   
timing. Of course, I did expect you to show up a bit earlier." And with those   
words, she disappeared with Kaoru.  
  
"Do you even want to know why I left you?"  
"No I..."  
"You're going to listen anyway. I led a very difficult and terrible life...I was   
a murderer for hire. I thought I was trying to help to form a new era, but I was   
going about it all the wrong way. It was your mother that made realise that. She   
loved me for me, and not what I could do for her...she loved the person inside   
me, not the cold exterior I had as the Battousai. But, she wasn't truthful to   
me. From day one, she had conspired to kill me. Because the night before I met   
her, I killed her fianceé."  
  
"You...you're saying that..."  
  
"She was engaged to be married the following month. The death of her loved one   
set revenge in her heart. She was hired to kill me...but eventually, her hate   
turned into love. It was too bad she didn't sever her ties with the man who   
hired her. I...I never saw...she leapt into the way...he had hidden a knife in   
his hand...I...I'm sorry Tomoe..." His head lowered, giving a few seconds of   
mourning to his previous wife. He continued his story.  
"Do you think a killer could take care of a child? Or that he would even be fit   
to? You needed a stable life and loving family, one that would be there for you   
all the time...unlike an ex-Hitokiri. SO I brought you to the closest person to   
a friend...Katsura-san. I'm sure he and his wife took wonderful care of you. You   
were happy, no?" Kenshin raised his head, his red bangs framed his aging face. A   
small caring smile crossed his face. Enough to make Murasaki forget her anger   
for him for a few moments.  
"Yes...I was happy. But I knew that they weren't my real parents."  
Kenshin raised an eyebrow, glad that they could finally have a decent   
conversation. "Oh? How so?"  
Murasaki laughed. "Oh, really now. I didn't get my hair colour from any of   
them." She grabbed some locks of her bangs, smirking.  
Kenshin grabbed some of his as well. "That's true." He smiled. "We have more in   
common than you think. Katsura took care of me as well, during my youth. I went   
through the loss of family as well."  
"How so?"  
"May parents died of cholera, and I was bought by some slave dealers where I met   
some really nice women. They took such wonderful care of me...but one night..."  
Murasaki shook her head. "No more. I understand now..." A hint of sorrow touched   
her voice. "I'm sorry. My anger blinded me, and all I wanted was revenge for my   
mother....and the tireless journey to find you..my father...." She braced   
forward, her oncoming tears began fuzzying her vision. The clinks of swords fell   
to the ground as father and daughter embraced each other in a hug.  
"It's ok...let them flow."  
The memory of his smell returned to her mind........so many years ago and yet   
she could still remember it.  
  
KENSHIN!  
  
The 2 appeared outside only to find 2 awestricken uncles holding their nephew.  
"She's gone...we tried..."  
"Let's go." Kenshin nodded to Murasaki and 2 flashs of red blurred into the   
distance. 


	10. Chapter Ten of Eleven

"Dammit!"   
  
Kenshin and Murasaki had been searching through the forest area for only a few minutes,   
but it felt like an eternity to them.   
  
"No telling what she's done to your wife."   
Many images flashed through Kenshin's head at once, but he shook them away from his   
mind, knowing that dwindling on the past would only hinder his search for her.   
"She won't kill her."   
"Suuuuuuuuure she won't." Murasaki rolled her eyes.   
"What? You don't trust me." A voice from above quickly grew closer to her ear. "And I   
placed so much faith in you."   
Clink!   
Murasaki turned just in time to prevent her back being turned to shreds, as she brought up   
her blade to block her opponent's attack.   
"Niiiiiiiice." Shiro sneered. But you're making this way too easy for me..." She sliced   
through the air with her second sword.   
Clink!   
"...Battousai."   
Kenshin had tried to gain the upper hand of the moment by hoping Murasaki was enough   
of a distraction. He strained against the strength of the "girl", knowing that he was   
extremely out of shape. He managed to force back, quickly ducking under a slash, parting   
with a few auburn strands of hair. Regaining his composure and balance, he charged at   
Shiro, attempting to knock her off balance.   
But he only got fists full of air and formed an acquaintance between his face and the   
ground.   
"You're going to have to try better than that, Battousai."   
"That name is long dead to me."   
Shiro chuckled. "That won't be the only thing." Her speed only left after images of herself   
as she darted around the redheaded man.   
"Well, you got two to mess with now."   
Murasaki threw herself into Shiro's side, actually managing to knock her off-balance.   
Kenshin immediately regained his ground and dashed to the pair, managing to get an arm   
lock on Shiro.   
"Drop the swords."   
Surprisingly, Shiro complied.   
"Don't think I've been beaten", she smirked. "I just want to hear what cutesy plans you   
have to dispose of me."   
"Kill you, of course. Duh!" Murasaki rolled her eyes.   
"Yuriko, no."   
"No?!??" She stared at her father in amazement. "After what she's done to me?"   
Kenshin merely glared at her. "Or what she could have done to my wife..."   
Murasaki slapped her forehead. She was always so selfish, being concerned with only   
herself and her happiness.   
"Good thing you stopped me then, huh?" She attempted at a laugh to lighten the mood,   
but it failed...miserably.   
"The woman's unhurt. I'll take you to her myself."   
"And we should trust you because...?" Murasaki raised an eyebrow, as she felt herself   
growing so close to kicking her in the teeth.   
"Hey. I didn't hurt the kid, did I?" Shiro let out a maniacal laugh, like she was the only one   
to get a really bad joke.   
And she was.   
  
After following her for a few minutes, Murasaki contemplated whether or not they were   
bring led into a trap or not.   
"Are you sure about this....?" she whispered. She was going to say "father", but she it just   
didn't feel right...not yet.   
"Well, do you know where she's keeping her?" Kenshin kept his eyes fixed on Shiro,   
ensuring that she made no sudden moves.   
Murasaki simply let out a sigh, quickly losing her patience.   
"Happy?" Shiro stopped. They had stopped basically in the middle of nowhere; no clearing   
or markers of any kind.   
"Well now that we're here...." Murasaki raised her blade to the back of Shiro's neck. A   
sinister grin of revenge crossed her lips.   
"...we can solve this peacefully." Kenshin finished her sentence.   
"Peacefully? Sheesh! What is WRONG with you?!" Murasaki glared at Kenshin out of the   
corner of her eyes.   
Shiro took advantage of this moment and managed to get the upper hand of Murasaki,   
pulling her into an arm lock, causing her to drop her blade.   
"Yuriko!"   
"Hmph." Shiro sneered. "What's wrong, Battousai? I kept my word. I brought you to your   
wife, now leave." She nodded. "Come on out, love." Kaoru stumbled out of the nearby   
bushes, her hands tied behind her back. "You got what you wanted."   
"But...!"   
"I said nothing about the young girl's life."   
She was right.   
"Now we have a little unsettled business to take care of." Shiro started edging away with   
Murasaki still in the lock.   
Not now................now when he had finally found her again.....   
Kenshin gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe this was happening! All the grief began   
gnawing at his mind....he felt a barrier breaking down.   
  
A familiar golden glow returned. 


	11. Chapter Eleven of Eleven

A shrill scream.  
  
Kaoru had recognised the golden glow returning to Kenshin's eyes immediately,   
and knew of the dire consequences...someone would be killed.  
  
Blood trickled down his sword.  
  
If anyone's life would be taken...it should be hers.  
  
"........Kaoru-dono..."  
  
The glow disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
Not again.  
  
Her head fell onto his shoulders.  
  
Snowflakes fell and stuck to her hair. He blinked.  
  
There was no snow.  
  
Terrible memories that wanted to be forgotten didn't die so quickly.  
  
The sword fell from his fingers, as he curled his arms around his wife. The   
warmth of blood met his skin, yet it made his skin shiver. He pressed his hand   
to the wound that ran across her stomach to stop the bleeding, but surprisingly,   
it wasn't as deep as he thought it was.  
  
Thankfully.  
  
All breaths were held....except for the mind-piercing laugh that emanated from   
behind Murasaki.  
  
"Please don't make me kill you..." were the only words that could come   
to Kenshin's head as his eyes were close to tears.  
  
Tears streamed down Murasaki's face. How could things end like this? Why? Why   
her?   
  
Kaoru choked out her words, pressing her cheek against his. "Don't....you'd be   
destroying everything you worked so hard for..."  
He only nodded. "I know." He ripped off her obi and tore it into strips. He   
wrapped and tied it tightly enough to stop the bleeding, but without causing   
anymore unnecessary pain.  
"Kenshin..." Murasaki sobbed. She could tell what was going thru his mind. "Take   
care of her...I can manage this myself." He opened his mouth to protest, but she   
cut him off. "No. I understand everything now. I know what I was doing   
wrong...the way I was doing it." She smiled. "Plus your wife needs you....I need   
you." He nodded in reply, his mind a bit numb from her words.  
  
"Oooooooh! So you think you can beat me now, eh?" Shiro released her grip on her   
and kicked her sword towards her. "Let's go at it then." She drew her swords   
from their hilts on her back.  
  
Murasaki cracked her shoulders, as the feeling returned to them. Her fingers   
found the familiar feeling of her sword hilt on the ground and she stood ready.   
"You got it, bitch."  
  
Kenshin tried his best to carry Kaoru with causing any more pain or anymore   
damage to her wound, but also doing so quickly. He retraced the steps he took   
from the dojo, meeting Sanosuke half-way; Yahiko was left behind to take care of   
Kenji.  
"Jo-chan!" Sano rushed to the pair, worry and pain filled his face.  
"Sano..." she smiled, reaching her hand out to his, which he gripped tightly.  
"I'm here." Sano bit his lip, afraid to show his softer side. He felt her pull   
on his arm, and brought his ear close to her mouth. She whispered low enough so   
the words couldn't reach Kenshin's ears.  
"What??!" He looked up wide-eyed at Kenshin's face. "Kenshin, we gotta get her   
to Megumi, and fast!"  
"That's where I was going...." his eyes were glazed over.  
"Well, we need to go faster! You've got more than her to worry about!" And   
before Kenshin couldfigure out his thoughts, Sano already had Kaoru in his arms   
and was taking off.  
  
The battle ensued as arcs of gold and purple streaked against the landscape of   
trees and bushes.  
  
"Wow...you've surprised me. I haven't held back once." Shiro smirked.  
"Let's just say I've learned something from my father." Murasaki returned a   
sneer of her own.  
"Oh? And what would THAT be?" She charged at the red-headed sprite, but she   
successfully blocked it and returned a slash of her own; it caught Shiro's side.  
  
Shiro glared, surprised, down at her wound, her eyes following upward to   
Murasaki's face. "You..." Murasaki smiled a very evil smile, knowing that Shiro   
had no chance of winning this fight.  
"What the HELL is going..!" Before she could finish her question, Murasaki was   
already on the attack, directing her slashes at her legs and arms. The swords   
fell from Shiro's hands, as she fell backwards from the strikes.  
"THIS is what's going on! YOU are going to LOSE!" She ran her sword through   
Shiro's stomach, yet no blood appeared on the blade.  
"How...?" Shiro choked.  
"Easy." She withdrew her blade, replacing it in her hilt. "Before I was fighting   
out of fear and anger, wanting to be better than you. But now, I have a   
different reason. I need to live and I'm fighting for my friends...and my   
family."  
And with those words, the "doll" lied there, breathless.  
  
The next day  
  
Kaoru was lying in her room, Megumi at her side. Loss of sleep was on her face.   
"You don't have to spy on me."  
Sano slid open the door. "I wasn't sure whether you wanted company or not." He   
scratched his head, like he always did when he was embarassed.  
  
Annoying silence.  
  
"Soooooo.......how're the both of them doing?"  
"She's lucky...I don't think Kenshin could deal with the fact of hearing about a   
death of any kind."  
"He....wants to come in..." he motioned his head towards the door. "His been in   
a daze for.....for days." He coughed.  
Megumi rolled her eyes. She nodded towards the door, knowing that he was looking   
in.  
  
Half an hour later, Sano went outside to retrieve Murasaki. "Hey! Your dad's got   
something to tell you!"  
She passed Kenji onto Yahiko's shoulders and headed inside; she had mixed   
feelings on the type of news she was about to receive.  
She nervously slid open the door, hoping that it would be the scene she had   
replayed in her head so many times. But the room was full of smiles.  
"I think this is a family conversation." Megumi retreated to the door. "That   
means you too, buster." She grabbed the ends of Sano's bandanna and dragged him   
out...backwards.  
Murasaki sat across from her father, looking down sadly at Kaoru. "Is she ok?"   
He smiled and nodded. "She's....they're both fine."  
"They...? Is she.......?" Her looked seared her father's face for the answer   
that popped into her mind. But she didn't need words to receive the answer. She   
pulled herself around Kaoru's sleeping body to her father's side and pulled him   
into a tight embrace. He held her tightly, his hand running through her long   
ponytail. She still that smell, the smell she had when she was a child. But now   
she was a grown girl. He knew he had to condition himself not to treat her like   
a child anymore.  
"Murasaki..." she cut him short.  
"My name's Yuriko, father."  
He kissed the top of her head. "Yes...yes it is."   
  
  
  
*I'm sorry for the god-awful fight and end of Shiro. -_- But I'm running low on   
ideas and then end of this fanfic has been annoying me for months. Plus I had to   
find some stupid way to incorporate the first couple lines that were in Chapter   
One into this chapter. Thanks for bearing with this crap story. ^^' Hopefully,   
this fic will help me to improve on my writing 


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